The Model That Gave Birth To The 4-Door Coupe Segment

Summary

• The 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLS was a groundbreaking vehicle that introduced the concept of a “four-door coupe” and set the standard for sleek and sporty sedan designs.
• Despite its stylish design, the CLS sacrificed practicality compared to the E-Class on which it was based, with less headroom, rear visibility, and seating capacity.
• The CLS’s success inspired other brands to create their own four-door coupes, but declining sales and the rise of SUVs led to the discontinuation of the CLS and other coupe models in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup.

Imagine it was the early 2000s, a time when people still weren’t overly obsessed with SUVs and crossovers. The default vehicle of choice was still the sedan, and especially in the luxury segment, large sedans define the status of a certain individual. However, somewhere along those times, someone at Mercedes-Benz toyed with the idea of offering a sedan with the styling qualities of a coupe. The result was the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLS.

The first generation Mercedes-Benz CLS was previewed by the Vision CLS concept at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The CLS inherited the platform of the E-Class (W211 generation) at the time, but it stood out with its sleeker design. As a result, this became the official start of the so-called “four-door coupe” segment, in which the CLS was the pioneer.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Mercedes-Benz and Car and Driver.

A Sedan With Coupe-Like Styling

Riding on the same underpinnings as the W211 E-Class, the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLS already had solid engineering foundations when the vehicle was conceived. The only thing it needed in order for the CLS to be created was to add a dash of style that would break the traditional three-box sedan mold.

Breaking The Three-Box Sedan Mold

That’s exactly what Mercedes-Benz’s designers did with the first-generation CLS. It was a vehicle that looked ahead of its time in terms of sportiness and elegance. In a sea of three-box designs for most sedans, the CLS had proportions reminiscent of a Coke bottle–one that would still look great even after a couple of years and generations.

Even in 2023, the CLS from 2004 still looks good, though, as with every car, the interior will always show signs of aging at some point because the tech used in the cabin will always be a constant sign of what era the car was conceived.

The first-generation CLS received its mid-cycle facelift in 2008 (albeit one that’s minor), improving and tweaking what was already a great-looking four-door coupe and managed to look even better. The xenon HID headlights (back when LED headlights weren’t yet a thing), restyled bumpers, new full LED taillights, and the obligatory new alloy wheel designs help make the CLS stand out.

But The CLS Was Also Less Practical

A two-door coupe isn’t as practical as a four-door sedan, and by adding the traits of a usual coupe, the CLS ended up being less practical than the E-Class on which it was mechanically based. Still, it was able to accommodate four adults in comfort, albeit with slightly less headroom than the E-Class.

The CLS came with a center console that ran from the front to the back that blocked the center rear seat, and that sloping roofline came at the expense of head clearance. Furthermore, the sloping roofline came at the expense of rear visibility, too, at a time when only parking sensors were considered high-tech and reverse cameras still weren’t a thing.

The overall design of the interior was similar to the E-Class, using similar parts and buttons, though the CLS had a slightly more curvaceous design and a more generous serving of wood panels and leather surfaces (if that’s what the customer desired). Opting for high-performance versions like the CLS 55 AMG and the CLS 63 AMG expectedly added more flair to the interior, such as sportier seats, and optional carbon fiber trims, just to name a few.

It Was An E-Class For Those Who Wanted More Flair

As mentioned, the CLS shared the same mechanical bits as the E-Class, which is no bad thing since it was a well-engineered luxury sedan in the first place. By creating a body that looked more stylish and sleeker, it should’ve meant that the CLS would be the perfect practical family sedan (or four-door coupe), right?

The CLS Added A Dose Of Sportiness

As with most Mercedes-Benzes, the CLS was focused on offering a relaxing and comfortable driving experience. The CLS came with a reputation for being a vehicle that isolated its occupants extremely well. Most reviews have focused on the CLS’s ability to eat up miles with delicacy and, when opting for the high-performance AMG models with their V-8s, it was also a master of the Autobahn with its sheer speed and stability.

The swoopy and sleek looks of the CLS also somehow translated to a better-tuned driving experience compared to the E-Class as Car and Driver points out. The CLS 500 they drove came with stuff like the Airmatic dampers, in which the variability of the air suspension is better tuned in the CLS than in the E-Class. Also contributing to the sportier driving experience is the CLS’s driving position itself.

The swoopy cabin and capsule-like feeling that the cabin provided delivered a snug feel that gave a feeling of sportiness to the driving position. Lastly, the new power-assisted steering for the CLS also made it feel lighter and easier to maneuver than the E-Class, yet this didn’t come at the expense of steering precision.

The CLS Also Sparked A Trend

Because of the success of the CLS, other brands took notice and joined the four-door coupe bandwagon. One of the first brands to heed the call for a four-door coupe is Audi with the gorgeous A7. It was released in the same year that Mercedes-Benz unveiled the second-generation CLS, which came with sharper styling, a more luxurious interior, and a greater focus on sportiness this time around.

Unsurprisingly, BMW followed suit with the F06-generation 6 Series GranCoupe, which is based on the third-generation F12/F13 6 Series, and since then, the three German luxury brands have dominated the four-door coupe space.

But The CLS Now Ceases To Exist

The Mercedes-Benz CLS, however, has already been discontinued for the 2024 model year. Mercedes-Benz ended production of the CLS on August 31, 2023, marking the nearly 20-year run of the pioneering four-door coupe. The Audi A7 and BMW 8 Series GranCoupe continue to be sold today, but only time will tell if these two, which also experienced sales declines over the past few years, will remain on sale in the coming years.

Mercedes-Benz Is Trimming Its Lineup

It’s unsurprising for almost anyone to find out that the CLS was discontinued due to the ever-popular crossovers and SUVs. Yes, that is one of the reasons why the CLS was discontinued, but Mercedes-Benz also discontinued the CLS because, in 2023, the brand told Car and Driver that it was trimming its model offerings in order to boost profits and market share.

The casualties, apart from the CLS, include the coupe versions of the C-Class and E-Class (both replaced by one coupe, the CLE-Class), and the similarly-styled but higher-performing Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Door. A senior member of Mercedes-Benz’s strategy team said to Car and Driver:

“At the end of the day, we simply don’t need estate cars or underperforming two-door offerings to boost volumes.”

Mercedes-Benz will discontinue the coupe versions of its current crop of crossover SUVs. While a new generation model of the GLC Coupe just debuted, this will apparently be its final generation as well. Wagons are also in jeopardy because the wagon versions of the current C-Class, the new E-Class, and the next-generation CLA will also be each model’s last.

Four-Door Coupes Aren’t As Novel As They Used To Be

The market in 2023 is also a lot different from how it was in the mid-2000s. Back then, a swoopy sedan like the CLS was considered groundbreaking. It was a style success that easily stood out among the traditional three-box sedan crowd–a novelty due to the striking looks that made it seem like a rarity in those days.

However, in the past decades, competitors have come and gone, with the birth of the Audi A7 and the BMW 6 Series GranCoupe (which, in turn, became the 8 Series GranCoupe) giving the CLS stiff competition. In addition, Mercedes-Benz also expanded its four-door coupe lineup with the entry-level CLA, bringing down the novelty of the four-door coupe into a segment that’s even positioned lower than the C-Class.

Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in the four-door coupe format being less novel and somewhat being the standard today. That’s especially true as we transition towards the electric vehicle (EV) age, in which a fastback body style is the best way to eke out the most miles on a single charge. Just take a look at the Tesla Model 3, and you’ll understand why the four-door coupe novelty has disappeared.

Because of the novelty of a four-door coupe now lost in 2023, in addition to the fact that these vehicles are slightly less practical but cost more for the sake of style, it’s no surprise that sales of the CLS have declined to a point that Mercedes-Benz no longer thinks its worth investing for a new generation model. What’s clear, however, is that the CLS will be credited for why sedans look the way they are today–sleek, and sporty, though mostly dictated by aerodynamics as we head into the EV era.